


There's So Much Strength In You And Me

by FadingIntoYou



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: AU, Cole grows and isn't so damn angry, F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-03 22:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5309780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FadingIntoYou/pseuds/FadingIntoYou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leanne Rorish had met Cole Guthrie and thought he was another arrogant surgeon with anger issues. She was right, but what she learned was that he was more than what he seemed, and so was she. Turned out, she didn't realize they were both living in the after and surviving just fine. Funny enough though, they were much better together. Eventually.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> No notable spoilers if you're up to date with Code Black. Takes place right after 1x08, so you could definitely say this is AU. I just advise going into this with an open mind, and seeing where it goes. It could surprise you.

_“Damn, that was hot”_

That's what Cole had said to her yesterday, and if Leanne was a betting woman, she'd put money on the smirk she let slip as he walked away, however brief it was. It'd been a long time since a man had flirted with her, and even longer since it'd been done with regards to her talent and skills. He wasn't watching her walk around the hospital and thought he'd share his opinion of her, it was after they were doing their jobs. It was intellectual, and that was why she was having such a hard time forgetting he'd said it. It'd be easy to brush it off after a long shift, maybe if she didn't think he'd meant it as more than it was, but then he'd gone and asked her on a date. He was relentless, she'd give him that. Now though, now she couldn't let it go. It's almost as if he was daring her to prove him wrong, that she was ready to date, but she walked away. And here he was, talking to a patient intently, eyes never straying to her as she walked by. She wasn't disappointed, but she wasn't relieved either. He was going to give her a migraine. She just turned around, and came nose to nose with a smug Jesse, and she rolled her eyes as she nudged his shoulder, making her way past him.

“Well, good morning to you too sunshine,” Jesse said, and she just shot him a dark look as she made her way towards their patient, the one she realized was the same one Cole had been talking to. She wanted to stab Jesse with the pen in her pocket, but he wisely chose to be on the other side of the gurney with Cole. She looked up at him and nodded, and he locked eyes with her, smiling briefly before addressing them.

“Amanda, this is Nurse Sallander-“

“Jesse, please,” he quietly corrected, and Cole nodded as the 40 year old woman didn't even look over at Jesse, keeping her eyes solely on Cole. Leanne could tell she was smitten, and she mentally rolled her eyes at herself for even noticing.

“Along with Jesse, Dr. Rorish will be taking care of you until we can get an OR for you. You're in good hands Amanda,” he said, and Cole’s eyes briefly flashed up from Amanda to Leanne, but she was looking down at the chart familiarizing herself with their patient.

“But Cole, are you sure you can't stay with me?” She asked, and Leanne’s head snapped up, head tilted as she watched Cole look mildly embarrassed. He cleared his throat and refused to look at Leanne, who was looking over at an extremely amused Jesse. His eyes kept bouncing between the three of them, and she made a note to have a…talk with him later.

“Like I said Amanda, I have another surgery before yours and I just wanted to make sure any questions you had were cleared up beforehand,” he replies, putting his hands into the pockets of his white coat.

“Alright, thanks for everything again Cole. I didn't know you were around, but I'm glad your dad could reach you,” she said, and Leanne felt her jaw clench for a moment at the soft expression this woman, who was obvious familiar with Cole, sent his way. She placed a hand on his arm and Leanne closed the chart swiftly, holding it with both hands as she looked over at Cole. He was smiling down at Amanda and she saw the was she gripped Cole's forearm. There was some kind of history there, and she couldn't help the way her curiosity was piqued.

“So, how is it that you know Dr. Guthrie Amanda?” Jesse asked as he placed an IV into her arm, Cole moving to stand at the foot of the bed, between Leanne and Jesse while still looking at Amanda.

“Oh we go way back,” she says laughing, and Cole shakes his head, looking over at Leanne for a second before shifting his eyes back,

“We dated ages ago in college, when med school was still just the next step in his plans,” she said teasingly, and Leanne was feeling like she was missing a big part of this particular story.

“Hey, don't go telling them stories,” Cole said, and she just motioned with her free hand in a way that meant she would let it go.

“Fine. How about your love life now Cole? Is that a better topic?” She asked knowingly, and both Cole and Leanne looked mildly uncomfortable as Amanda kept her eyes steadily on Cole. He just shook his head, giving her an exasperated sigh as he tapped on her foot.

“You are still a menace to society, you know that?” He asked, trying to side step her question, unsuccessfully if he was honest.

“Oh come on, don't tell me you haven't settled down now with a wife and a couple kids by now?” She asked, surprise written all over her face as Jesse and Leanne exchanged a curious look. They didn't know that was something he wanted, probably because they really didn't know him all that well, but she could see how that question had hit a nerve. The way his hands clenched on the railing was quick, but enough to convey his discomfort.

“Oh Cole, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to strike a nerve-“

“It's fine,” he answered swiftly, pulling himself up to his full height as he moved away, “I'll have you brought up soon, try to rest,” he said, walking away from them briskly as he headed for the elevators. Leanne just turned and watched him walk away, staring at his frame as he rocked back on his heels, checking his watch when he had to wait.

“That's got to be hard,” Jesse commented, and Leanne hummed in agreement, torn between giving him some space and wanting to say something, anything to him.

“I'll be right back,” she said, taking a step towards she Cole was waiting for people to exit the elevator. Leanne heaved a sigh, sticking her tongue out at Jesse when he sent her a look, as she jogged to catch the elevator. She slid in before the doors closed, and watched as Cole looked up from his phone, body slouching against the wall opposite her. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back across from him, his gaze accessing her. She also thought he was checking her out, but she'd never say that aloud. At least, not right now.

“Jesse?” Cole asked knowingly, and she shook her head silently, not knowing what to say. She was regretting this decision until the elevator dinged, and Cole stood up to his full height, keeping her gaze as he moved closer to her. She held her breath when his chest brushed her crossed forearm, and she distantly wondered if his abs were as defined as she was guessing.

“Don't make this weird Leanne, I'm a big boy, I can take a hint,” he mumbled lowly, flexing his arms as he briefly touched her hip with his right hand, moving away from her just as quickly as he came.

“I'm not making this weird Cole,” she disagreed, but he just shrugged as he walked backwards away from her so he could keep looking at her.

“Yeah? Then why the awkward elevator ride?”

“Because-“ she started, and she shook her head, jamming her thumb against the button to close the elevator doors. He stopped walking and looked curious, but she just hit the button again in frustration. He's got her in knots and was irritating her, she had to back away from this while she still could.

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Never mind. You're right, this is weird,” she said, mostly to herself as the doors shut, and somehow, Cole knew this was all his fault. Again.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Am I always going to have to argue or flirt with you to get your attention?” Cole asked as she walked out of the doctors locker room, and she just shook her head, striding away from him. He was getting really tired of wanting to chase after her.

“If you think that's the only way to get my attention, you don't know me very well,” she bit back, and had to bite her tongue at the humorless laugh he let out.

“Not for lack of trying, don't leave that part out,” he responded, and she tilted her head in acceptance of that fact; she'd walked right into that one. She had a feeling this going back and forth between then was going to become standard.

“Can I help you?” Leanne asked abruptly, coming to a complete stop that had Cole leaning away from her in order to avoid running right into her as he came to stand right in her line of sight.

“Depends, have you eaten yet?” Cole asked, and Leanne rolled her eyes at him as she looked up at him. He was tall, she only came up to just about his shoulders, and she was tired of having to tilt her head back just to meet his gaze. 

“Is this going to become a thing? You trying to get my attention like a twelve year old boy?” she asked, snide if she were honest, and the look that set across his face was one of determination and amusement. She expected some irritation, but he was just full of surprises. 

“Well, I tried to be an adult and just ask, but you didn’t take that well-“

“If I remember correctly, I turned you down,” she cut in, and he raised his eyebrows.

“You did, but now I’m just asking if you want to have breakfast. You know, like colleagues do, friends even,” he replied, and she cocked her head to the side, amused at his attempt to grasp any possible reason to get her to spend time with him.

“If I do, will you stop trying to be the smartest kid in class?” she asked tiredly, rubbing a hand over her eyes as she moved around him and out the door. Of course he followed, and she smirked to herself as she walked down the street slowly. She’d have a meal with him, and maybe he’d realize she wasn’t interested in whatever bravado he seemed hellbent on keeping intact. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“So, are you and your father always going to go at it?” Leanne asked as they walked down the sidewalk, Cole’s stride slow as to stay in step with her. 

“Boy, you don’t pull any punches do you?” he asked rhetorically, shrugging his shoulders as he gestured in front of himself. Cole had a big presence, and she realized he was just as much of an emotional wreck as she was. She could see it; people like them, people that have dealt with tragedies, sometimes you could just see it in others. It took the edge off for her, because she knew what it was like to be that kind of angry. Being reminded of that every time he saw his father must not get any easier. 

“My father and I…maybe I’m overcompensating,” Cole admitted, looking a lot more like the wreck she assumed he was.

“Maybe?” she repeated, and he just shrugged again, looking down at her out of the corner of his eye. He could give her a hard time, be a smartass, but he knew she’d turn right around and never look back if he chose to act like he wasn't as effected by everything as he was. She was tough, and he’d said as much, and she was trying. He decided she deserved the same kind of effort from him.

“We have our issues Leanne, I’m not denying that, but…he’s different than he was back then. He wants to be present now, and 15 year old me wants to tear him apart for his attempts. I don’t know if that’s ever going to go away” he said lowly, his voice barely distinguishable over the sounds of cars passing them by. It was just after sunrise, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before the streets were crowded with bikes and vehicles alike.

“You’re not 15 anymore,” she reminded him gently, and he could hear the empathy, but didn’t hear any judgement.

“I know, and I should try harder. I just…” he trailed off, taking a couple quick steps in front of her to open the door to the diner, holding it open as she passed him, Leanne nodding her thanks at him.

“You just haven’t yet got your footing with him here, I understand,” Leanne finished for him, and he nodded as he followed her to a booth in the corner. 

She sat with her back to the door, and he could see she had her own issues; knew they weren’t so different. She got it; it wasn’t often that people bothered to look past his anger, but she knew what she was looking at. They picked up their menus and sat in silence, but Cole was watching her subtly as she moved hair away from her eyes as she placed her menu on the table. He’d made the crack about their surgery and her talent being hot, but he now realized what an understatement that was. She was one gigantic enigma, and Cole didn't really know what to do with that. She'd already made him confused and uncertain of himself, and yet there was still a part of her he knew was worth getting to know.

“Are you always so understanding?” he asked, and Leanne kept looking out the window, her smirk visible as her eyes cut over to him briefly.

“No, I’m not,” she said, dropping her eyes to the wood of the tabletop where she laced her fingers together in front of her. She was remembering her concerned inquiry last night, and thought about why he'd made her care twice in a matter of hours.

“So…” He said, trailing off as he waited for her to answer his implied question. She blew out a breath and ran her thumb nail against the table, looking down as she answered him.

“I know what's it's like, to not be able to control your temper-“ 

“You? Now that, I have a hard time believing,” he interrupted, smirking at her as she gave him a bland look.

“Plate glass window, remember? It takes work, and I chose not to let my anger win,” she said, and gave him a pointed look that caused him to duck his head, his right hand running over his neck as the waitress came to take their orders. Once she left, Leanne leaned back in her seat, arms crossed in front of her chest as she pinned him with an imploring look. He tried to remain nonchalant as long as he could, but he finally cracked when she just kept staring calmly back at him.

“Alright, what are you thinking? It has to be something good, because your face hasn’t cracked once in almost three minutes,” he said, exhaling as he rested his head in his palm, elbow on the table to support him. She raised her eyebrow and he gestured for her to say something, and she just shrugged.

“I guess I’m just wondering why the hell you decided to try to befriend me of all people,” she said, her tone careful. She genuinely wanted to know, but she also didn’t want him to give her some bullshit to appease her.

“That’s what’s eating at you?” he asked perplexed, and she almost wanted to laugh at the outright confusion he was displaying. She had surprised him, and she was enjoying that.

“Hey, you asked Cole,” she said flippantly, sipping at the coffee the waitress had just sat on the table in front of them before busily moving along.

“Okay, you want the truth?” he asked, and immediately received a glare in return, daring him to lie to her. He wasn’t one to find women that occasionally intimidate him attractive, but he guessed there were always exceptions. 

“Uh, you remember my first day at Angels? When I stuck my foot in my mouth and you unapologetically handed me my ass?” he asked laughingly, and she smiled, but tried to hide it behind her cup. 

“Vaguely,” she said, and now he was giving her an unimpressed look.

“Uh huh. Well, I’m not used to people calling me on my shit, especially when they’re not my boss. You had no problem telling me exactly like it was, and since then I’ve had respect for you,”

“You and I have argued a number of times since then-“

“But I’ve never been disrespectful. Hardheaded and unwilling to move from my professional opinion, yeah, but I’ve never thought less of yours,” Cole looked at her, and Leanne kept drinking her coffee, watching him silently. 

“And, you’re damn skilled Leanne. That, I think I’ve made perfectly clear,” he said, throwing her a sly grin as she tried to fight a smile, acutely aware of that particular conversation. Which, speaking of that particular incident, reminded her of something.

“Yeah, but in front of Jesse and Angus Cole?” she asked exasperated, and he laughed, but was thankfully given a moment to think when the waitress brought their food over. They dug in and let the silence take over, until about a minute later when Cole just couldn’t help himself.

“You try watching a talented person anticipate your needs and require little to no direction when you’re wrist deep in a patient. It’s hot, so yeah, it was bound to come out,” he muttered, and she just looked up at him over their food, taking a bite of bacon as he looked back at her calmly. He winked at her, and she just shook her head, well aware that despite his temper, she was sure the biggest part of his personality had to do with his charm. 

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she commented, looking over at him as he sipped his coffee.

“You’re right, that one crashed and burned, but I think we'll be alright,” he said knowingly, enjoying the way she flashed him a doubtful look.

“Oh really?” she asked, and she regretted it when he leaned across the table, only about a foot from her, his forearms resting on the table as he looked her right in the eye. She refused to move away and let him win, so she stubbornly stood her ground as he spoke.

“Yeah, and you know why?” he asked, knowing she wasn’t going to answer as he continued, “I’m content to be your friend even if you aren’t interested in me like that, but I'm also going to keep wondering if you turned me down as a knee-jerk reaction having to do with my father, and whatever other reasons you’ve come up with in the last day or so…or maybe you'll change you're mind once you really get to know me,” he said and smiled, and she bit her lip, gently placing her right hand on his shoulder to ease him back to his side of the table.

“Sit like a normal person, don’t give people a reason to stare,” she said, and he just gave her a bigger smile.

“Why? Not ready for that just yet?” he asked, and this time, she didn’t detect any teasing. He looked a little nervous around the edges, and she guessed this was his attempt at trying to have an open dialogue. If they kept having to discuss their feelings, she didn’t think she’d go a week without trying to injure him. She just sent him back a dazzling smile that was part amusement and part sarcasm as she picked up her cup.

“Ask me again next week Cole,” she said as she raised her cup before taking a sip, and he did the same.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, you and Guthrie Jr. seem to be rather close as of late…” Neal mentioned, and Leanne didn't even react as she looked over the patient they had just sedated. She began to pull off her gloves as she walked away from him, hoping he'd drop the subject altogether. She really wasn't ever that lucky, and Neal followed close behind until he noticed Cole hovering by the nurses station.

“I guess that answers my question…” Neal mutters, veering off as Leanne walked over to lean her arms beside Cole on the desk. It’d been a little over a week since their first breakfast, and Leanne realized that their…friendship had developed rather quickly, but also, rather publicly as well. She was getting stares from fellow doctors and nurses, and she was beginning to wonder what it was that made them so fascinating to people. She had a close friendship with Jesse, but they never gathered as much attention as she and Cole were getting. It made her uncomfortable, the stares, but not enough to stop spending time with him. He was different when he wasn’t trying to prove himself, and she found that they had much more in common than she originally thought. 

“Hey,” she said as she placed a hand on his back before reaching past him for a pen, leaning into him as she pulled back, opening the chart she brought over. She moved her hand away as he leaned against the desk closer to her, slouching almost directly over her shoulder to read her notes as she jotted them down. She paused briefly, feeling his breath ghosting over her neck before she continued writing, his chest brushing her shoulder with every breath he took. He had no concept of personal space, and she was beginning to accept that.

“Hey back,” he said lowly, and looked over at her when she turned her head towards him. He realized just how close he was to her face, and he cleared his throat as he pulled back, trying to give her the space he assumed she wanted as he grinned sheepishly. She cocked her head to the side before dropping her eyes back to her notes, finishing them before closing the chart and handing it to a grinning Jesse. She knew he’d been standing there watching them, and she just rolled her eyes at him when he winked at her.

“Oh stop it,” Leanne said, and Jesse just looked back innocently at her.

“What? I didn’t say a thing,” he said, smiling wider as he walked away from her.

“You didn’t have to,” she muttered, and she head a snort from Cole beside her as she looked up sharply at him. He just raised his hands in surrender, his smile contagious as she tried and failed to glare at him. She hated that sometimes, how he had the ability to turn her mood around with just a look; she didn’t realize just how much he really did get to know her when given the chance. 

“Alright, out with it. What are you doing down here?” Leanne asked, leaning her side against the desk as she placed a hand on her other hip. He just shrugged, shoving his hands into his white coat as he crossed one foot over the other. Her eyes bounced over his frame, and he dropped his head to catch her gaze. He smirked and she just scrunched her nose at him, knowing if it were any other time, he would have made a comment about her…looking him over. 

“Actually, I was wondering if you had any plans for tomorrow night…” he asked, looking decidedly uncomfortable as he avoided her stare. Jesse had come back, and was standing in front of them, looking back and forth between them with interest until Leanne threw him a pointed look. One he chose to ignore.

“Something I can help you with Jesse?” she asked, and merely shook his head as he grinned, showing all of his teeth and a lot of amusement at her expense.

“Nope, I’m good right here,” he replied, and she gave him a dark look as she looked back up at Cole.

“Uh, not that I know of, why?”

“Well…” he started, pulling a hand up out of his pocket to scratch the side of his jaw before continuing, “Dad and I are having dinner, and I was wondering if you wanted to join us?” he asked carefully, almost pleading with her as she looked blankly at him. She didn’t know what to think, but her response slipped out before she could help it.

“No, I don’t think so,” she said, walking away from him so she couldn’t see the dejected look on his face.

“Yeah, I figured as much,” he uttered, walking in the opposite direction, leaving Jesse to look at Leanne’s back confusedly. She turned around and locked eyes with him, and he could see the regret on her face as he smiled encouragingly back.

“It’s okay, Cole understands,” Jesse said, coming to stand beside her as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She leaned into him, blowing out a breath as she shook her head.

“That’s the worst part Momma,” she replied, and he just pulled her closer, knowing this thing her and Cole were doing was getting to her. He was glad; she needed to open up to people that wanted to be there for her when she had the chance. She was too good of a person to be alone.

_____________________________________________________________________

Leanne had successfully avoided talking about what happened with Cole the rest of her shift with Jesse, but she had also noticed how he’d kept his distance when he had to come down to the ER after that. He smiled at her politely, but didn’t linger like he usually would. She knew it had to do with the dinner invitation, and she caught his eye as she was leaving the ER to clock out, and he just nodded, smiling at her briefly as he ducked his head. She didn’t know if every time she dodged him it would be like this, but she was feeling guilty. She’d eaten a total of four meals with him, and now she decided it was going to be weird? 

Neal’s interrupted attempt at a conversation about her and Cole was directly related to her grabbing lunch with him yesterday, because he was there when Cole brought her coffee and mentioned it. He’d left it alone until this morning, and it didn’t make her as uncomfortable as it should have. If she didn’t want the stares and the whispers, she could easily stop spending time with him. It was that simple. But it really wasn’t; he was a breath of fresh air despite everything. He didn’t know her before the accident, so he only treated her one way, and there was never kid gloves when it came to discussing their pasts. He’d always kept it grounded, and she didn’t know anyone else that could do that when it came to such a sensitive topic. He knew what having people look at you differently felt like, and refused to treat her like she was delicate. It made her feel stronger, knowing he never looked at her like the cracks were visible. She was lost in her thoughts when she went into the locker room, and noticed Cole’s father picking up his coat, looking up at her and smiling as she smiled back.

“Heading out Leanne?” he asked, and she nodded, going to her locker to grab her things as he made his way towards the door. She heard him turn the knob and pause, and she held her breath, knowing she wasn’t going to leave without having to say something.

“Did Cole talk to you about dinner tomorrow night?” he asked, and Leanne looked over at him, leaning against her locker as she nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn’t want to have to justify her answer, if only because she couldn’t think of a good explanation. 

“Yeah, about that-“ she started, but Rollie made a motion to cut her off. He smiled gently, moving his coat from one arm to another.

“It’s fine Leanne, I told Cole you’d probably decline, but wanted him to ask you anyway,” he said, and she looked surprisedly back at him. She’d thought it was Cole’s idea to invite her, and it must have shown on her face because he chuckled.

“I may have missed out on a lot of Cole’s life, but I’m not blind. I see the way he looks at you; my son is quite taken with you,” he said almost teasingly, and she just looked at the floor, embarrassment making her ears hot. She didn’t want to be the topic of this discussion, but she knew she’d signed on for this when she’d decided Cole was someone she’d call a friend. 

“Rollie, I don’t know what to say,” she said, looking back at him with a small smile, shrugging her shoulders. He leaned back against the door, giving her a soft look, his eyes resting just past her shoulder, and she could tell he was remembering something.

“Did you know dinner was Cole’s idea?” he asked, and she shook her head, not wanting to interrupt his train of thought, “He came to me yesterday, asking if we could start over Leanne. My son said he wants to move past everything, have a relationship with me,” he said, his voice soft and affectionate, and her eyes clouded with tears. She could hear the love Rollie had for Cole, was jealous that they had a second chance, at least until he kept speaking.

“He said, ‘Dad, I know I haven’t been easy, but can we try to start over?’ It’s been 30 years, and yet, after a bit of time getting to know you, he wants to give me a chance. I have a chance to be in my son’s life because of you, and there’s no two ways about it,” he said firmly, knowing she would try to shrug off his suggestion.

“I didn’t do anything-“

“You gave him something I couldn’t; you gave him someone that really understood what he’d been through and was living in the after. You made him realize there was still someone that loved him and wanted to be in his corner. I have you to thank for that Leanne, you don’t know what this means to me,” he said, voice thick with emotion. She just bit her lip, her tears precariously close to falling. She wasn’t one to accept praise like this, but she also knew there was nothing she could say to change his mind. She was proud that Cole was trying to take charge of his life; he deserved the chance to right any wrongs while he still could. 

“Well I’m glad I could be of some help,” she said, and Rollie just shrugged, giving her a knowing look as he straightened up.

“You’re important to him, and whatever happens between the two of you…” he said, trailing off as she looked away, pulling out her clothes from the locker she’d been leaning against, “I just hope he can count on you and vice versa. He needs to learn to not be so guarded”

“Yeah, I know something about that,” she said quietly, the corner of her mouth lifting into a sad smile when he nodded, content with their conversation as he shifted on his feet, going to open the door again before Leanne’s voice stopped him.

“If I come tomorrow, can you keep it to yourself?” she asked, still unable to look at him as she fiddled with the bag in her hand as he looked over his shoulder at her. He grinned, tapping the door twice before answering her.

“Dinner’s at 7 at Cole’s apartment. I’ll send you the address; I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you,” he replied, and she couldn’t help the hopeful feeling she had. She hadn’t wanted to get close to him, and somewhere between bickering and breakfast, she noticed he’d made his way through her walls without setting off any warning bells.


	4. Chapter 4

Walking slowly down the hallway, Leanne felt as if her skin was too hot and too cold at the same time under her coat, and she couldn’t believe how unsettled she felt. It had been surprisingly cold all day, and it gave her a chance to wear a wool coat one of the few truly cold days in LA. She’d dressed comfortably in a pair of black jeans and a dark red long sleeve top, her boots short and comfortable. They had a heel, so she’d only be a couple inches shorter than Cole, rather than half a foot. She gripped the bottle of wine in her hand tightly, hoping that her nerves would settle before she knocked on the door. It was ten to seven, and she’d already ran through multiple scenarios for the night. She was running herself into the ground out of nervousness, and she was irritated that she was making such a big deal out of everything. Before she could talk herself out of it, she knocked on the door. She heard voices through the door, and her stomach dropped in anticipation as a smile crossed her face. She heard the door open, and came face to face with Rollie, and she wasn’t sure if she felt relieved or not. He nodded at her as if he could hear her thoughts, but leaned forward to give her a hug that she returned automatically.

“He’s just finishing up with the food; I didn’t want anything to burn if he came to the door,” he joked, and Leanne raised an eyebrow at him, understanding the implication. He merely shrugged, closing the door behind her as he took her coat, leading her into the kitchen. Cole’s back was to them, and Leanne was able to watch him draining the pasta as he talked to his father.

“Was it Mrs. Thompson from across the hall? Help the woman once with her groceries and she keeps trying to force feed me carrot cake…” he mutters, and Rollie laughs as Leanne’s eyes crinkle with amusement, her eyes scanning his frame momentarily. He was in a pair of dark blue jeans and a hunter green button up shirt she assumed from the look of the material. She’d tried to avoid looking at him for too long, and from the knowing look Rollie was throwing her way, she knew she hadn’t done a good job of stopping herself. She placed the wine gently on the island that was separating them from Cole, and Rollie went to grab her a glass. Cole looked at his father when he came up behind him, still unaware that Leanne was there.

“I think you’ll be happy about this particular visitor…” Rollie muttered close to his son, handing him the wine glass as he nudged his son, wordlessly taking over for him as Cole turned around. Leanne had placed her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, her head cocked as her hair fell to one side. 

“Hey,” he breathed, only taking a step away from his father as he stared at Leanne. She could see Rollie’s shoulders shake with laughter, but her attention was back on Cole immediately.

“Hey back,” she replied, and she saw the way his smile widened, remembering them having the same conversation, but reversed just yesterday. He moved to grab another two glasses and open the wine, glancing up at Leanne ever few seconds as he poured them all wine. He left his father’s on the counter with his as he slid a glass towards Leanne, catching her fingers before it made contact with the glass, gripping her fingers gently with his own. She squeezed his fingers lightly before slipping hers onto the counter and pulling her glass towards her. She took a small sip, needing to do something with her hands when Cole kept looking at her like he was. She put her glass down on the counter and locked eyes with him, until they heard a throat clear from the dining room. They both looked over to Rollie, who stuck his head through the doorway and smiled knowingly at them, motioning towards the table set for three.

“Food’s getting cold…” he mentioned, and both Leanne and Cole pulled away from one another sheepishly as they made their way to the table. Cole passed his father his wine glass as Leanne sat across from what would be Cole’s seat, and Cole just ducked close to his father to say something privately to him.

“Whatever you said to her…” Cole whispered, looking down before looking over to Leanne, who was looking at the art beside them, desperately trying not to eavesdrop, “I…Thanks Dad,” he said, patting his father on the back as he went to sit in his seat, letting his dad sit at the head of his table. Rollie looked over at Leanne and she smiled, looking between father and son as food was passed around.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“That was amazing Cole, I think I can die happy,” Rollie said as they sat at the table, plates cleared as they sipped their second glasses of wine, with Rollie switching to water almost an hour ago. Leanne was content to lean back in her chair, watching Cole tell Rollie about the recipe he’d used and see them connect like they had during dinner. It made her happy, seeing them both successfully letting the other in without being defensive. It was light and easy, and she hoped it would only get better from here. She was tuning out, thinking about them until she realized they were both looking at her, and she tipped her head in silent question as they both grinned, smiles identical. 

“I’ve got an early morning tomorrow, so I’ll see you both then?” Rollie said, starting to stand as Cole did the same. She made her way behind Cole, going to say goodbye with him as Rollie put on his coat. 

“Yeah, I’m glad you could come Dad. Maybe we can do this again next week?” Cole asked hesitantly, opening the door for him as Rollie came up to him. Leanne hung back, watching Rollie hug Cole tightly as Cole wrapped his arms around his father in return. Cole locked eyes with Leanne, and she smiled to the point where he could see her dimples. 

“Yeah, I’d like that son,” he replied, pulling away from Cole and turning around, going to hug Leanne as well. She leaned up to hug him and he thanked her quietly as they parted, making his way out the door. Cole closed the door behind him, leaning against it as Leanne slid her hands into her back pockets, much like she had when she first arrived. 

“Do you have to go too?” Cole asked, his tone careful as crossed his arms over his chest. Her eyes dropped briefly to watch the muscles in his arms move, and she looked back up at his smug smile before she walked backwards slowly.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” she asked, and Cole shook his head, following her back into the dining room to grab their drinks before he lead her into the living room. He slipped his shoes off before he sat down on the couch, and Leanne did the same as she pulled a leg beneath her, turning her body to face Cole. He was leaning into his corner of the couch, wine in one hand on his thigh, the other holding up his head as he watched her get comfortable. She pulled her other leg up to her chest, her foot resting on her other ankle, her wine dangling from the hand resting atop her knee. She propped her head on her other hand like Cole was, and just stared back at him.

“Why do you always do that?” she asked quietly, her tone without judgment, just merely curious.

“Do what?” Cole asked just as quietly, tilting his head as he raised his glass to his lips.

“Stare at me? It’s like…” she said, her voice trailing off as she moved her head to use that hand, motioning in front of her to try to convey her meaning.

“…Like I’m fascinated?” he supplied, and she made a face as she put her hand back, taking a sip of her wine as she rolled her eyes. He huffed out a laugh as he leaned forward to place his glass on the table in front of them.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he replied, and that time he didn’t look at her and she thought he was being dramatic.

“Try me,” she challenged, and he looked back up at her, his eyes narrowed. She stood her ground, but she hasn’t seen him this upset, at least not at her.

“No. I’m not going to explain this to you Leanne,” he said, and she looked baffled.

“Excuse me?” she said, unable to believe he’d shut her down like that.

“I’m not explaining why I feel the way I do about you. You made it perfectly clear that you weren’t ready, so this is me respecting that,” he replied, his voice tired as he reached for his wine, taking a large drink before putting it down. She placed her wine down beside his, leaning back into the couch as she crossed her arms, bringing her bent leg down to sit like Cole was.

“You can’t use that as an excuse Cole. You do it a lot,“ she mentioned, and his face conveyed his irritation.

“Do you think I do it on purpose Leanne? You think I want to be unable to look away when you’re around?” he asked rhetorically, and she snorted derisively, and he threw his hands up in front of him in irritation.

“See? This is exactly why I’m not having this conversation,” he said, and she rolled her eyes again. 

“I don’t mean to-“

“Yes, you do. I don’t put myself in positions where I’m at other people’s mercy, but when I do it with you, it’s thrown in my face,” he said, his upper body turned so he can look her in the eye. She winced, knowing she was at least partly to blame. It was how she coped with all of this, she didn’t think she was honestly hurting his feelings.

“I didn’t think it got under your skin,” she admitted, looking away from him. He was watching the way she sighed at the guarded look on his face. She thought they’d made progress, but she hated the way he was almost afraid to talk to her.

“I think you underestimate how invested I am in this friendship,” he retorted, and she acknowledged his statement for what it was; the truth.

“Is it just our friendship you’re invested in Cole?” she asked cautiously, and he just put his head in his hands, dragging them down his face before meeting her gaze again.

“You are unbelievable,” he mutters, and Leanne feels small for even asking. She knew she was pushing him to admit something she wasn’t ready to deal with, and yet she couldn’t leave it alone. Cole stands and grabs their glasses, walking away from her silently as she remains seated on the couch, listening to him rinsing their glasses in the sink. She sighs, knowing he was done talking to her. She made her way into the kitchen, watching him rinsing the dishes as he places them in his dishwasher. He ignores her, and she pulls out a stool from the island that was between them, sitting exactly where she was standing over an hour ago. She just sat silently, watching him rinse dish after dish until the sink was empty and he turned the water off. He stayed gripping the edge of the sink, keeping his back to Leanne until she finally spoke.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done…this. You have to understand that,” she said, and he hung his head, not budging from his position.

“I do. I’m not pushing you to date me, hell, I’m not pushing you for anything but the chance to spend time with you when you let me. If you’re that against us trying to be friends, just say it; then at least I’ll stop feeling like an idiot,” he says, words bouncing off the metal of his sink as Leanne drops her eyes to the countertop, the hurt in his voice unmistakeable. 

“You’re not an idiot. You just have the unfortunate luck of getting to know me when I’m still getting to know me,” she admits, and he turns at that, arms stuffed into the front pockets of his jeans as he leans back against his sink.

“If it’s any consolation, what I’ve seen so far hasn’t scared me off. I meant what I said when I asked you to breakfast the second time; no matter how you feel about me, I still like you for you Leanne. That’s enough for me” he said, and Leanne just buries her face in her hands at his statement. He was so earnest about it, and her emotions were all over the place. She didn’t think she was ready to take this next step, but her head wasn’t agreeing with her heart. Her heart wanted to tell Cole that he was just as important to her, but her brain kept saying everything would change and she wasn’t ready for that. She heard him move, and she heard his voice, lower and much closer than it was a moment ago, and she took a deep breath to try to get a handle on everything.

“I’m your friend, and as your friend, I’m going to hug you now. Is that okay?” he asked from behind her, and she nodded, the tears she’s been holding in for a couple days finally spilling down her cheeks silently. She wiped them away as she spun her stool to face him, and Cole put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest, causing her to slip off the stool to stand on the floor. His body was warm, and Leanne placed her hands gingerly on the muscles of his lower back as he held her tightly. She didn’t realize how much she’d needed a hug from someone, and she could feel Cole’s strength, literally and figuratively as they stood in his kitchen. He placed a hand at the base of her neck and gently massaged the muscles there, and she felt herself relax further into his embrace. She patted his back with her hands twice before reluctantly pulling away, bringing one hand up to brush the wet spot on his shirt from the tears she didn’t manage to stop. He looked down at where she was rubbing her thumb rhythmically back and forth at his shirt, and brought one hand to grab hers, brushing his skin against hers soothingly. 

“It’s fine, I think I’ll live,” he whispered, and she smiled tiredly as his grip tightened momentarily before loosening, running his hands down her arms before letting her go. Just as his hands were falling away from her, she reached for his fingertips, folding her hand inside his as she stared up at him. She knew this was a horrible situation, but she couldn’t deny that she tried to fight her attraction to Cole. He hadn’t made it easy on her, and he was a danger to every assumption she’d made on why they could just be friends. She felt him run his thumb over the outside of her hand, and it brought her back to the present. He was looking at her like he was waiting for her to say something, and when she didn’t, he just nodded slightly, gently untangling their hands as he took a step back.

“You are worth getting to know Leanne, in any capacity. I’m lucky to call you a friend,” Cole said, leaning his hip against the counter as Leanne sat back on her stool. Her head rested on her fist as she looked up at him, and he was glad she wasn’t pulling away like he expected her to.

“Just so you know,” Leanne said, leaning into him and lowering her voice as he leaned in, making sure he could hear her, “I’m pretty lucky too,” she says like it’s a secret, and Cole couldn’t help the way his stomach flipped at the smile she gave him. He knows he’s in too deep, but she’s too damn important for him to screw anything up between them. He’ll be whatever she needs for as long as she decided she wanted him around.


	5. Chapter 5

Nothing much had changed between them at work the following few months, until Leanne had to pronounce an organ donor dead after a motorcycle accident. There was a transplant team that came up from San Diego, and Cole was supposed to assist on the surgery when their cardiothoracic surgeon arrived, but what he wasn’t aware of was the fact that said surgeon had been flirting with Leanne for years. At first the information didn’t make any difference to him, but when he overheard a couple nurses talking about it, he made an excuse to go down and be nosy. He’d admit he was mildly jealous, but he also had to remind himself that she was a single attractive woman. He’d told her he was going to be there for her no matter what, and he wasn’t going to let this guy ruin all of the progress he’d made just because he felt threatened. She deserved better than that even from a friend, and he didn’t want to disappoint her. He’d come down to visit her with the coffee he’d had a nurse grab him towards the end of the surgery he just finished, so it was still hot when he came down to the ER. He stood at the nurses station when he spotted Jesse doing some work on a computer, and went over to kill some time until Leanne was free. 

“Hey Jesse, how’s it going?” Cole asked, leaning against the wall by the standing computer Jesse was on so he could still look over the ER. Jesse looked over at him mildly surprised, going back to the screen as he spoke.

“Good Dr. Guthrie, yourself?” Jesse responded, and Cole just shook his head as he took a sip from his cup.

“Cole, please. I know I’ve been an ass, but I wanted to maybe change that if that’s alright with you,” he says self-consciously, looking around as he avoided Jesse’s smirk. Jesse thought Cole had changed quite a bit since he arrived, and he was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt if Leanne had been willing to befriended him.

“Okay Cole. Dr. Montoya just arrived and is being caught up by Leanne; they should be done any minute,” he said, watching Cole’s face for any signs of jealousy or irritation. When he didn’t, he didn’t bother to hide his surprise as Cole just drank his coffee calmly. Cole caught his eye and grinned before answering his unasked question.

“We’re friends Jesse; I had a break and decided to spend it down here with your sunny disposition,” Cole said with only a little sarcasm, and Jesse let out a laugh. 

“Oh yeah, I’m sure it’s me you came down here to see,” he commented with a lowered voice, and Cole just shrugged, the smile on his face not budging. As Jesse was just about to harass him some more, Leanne came around the corner with who Cole assumed to be Dr. Montoya. He was on the phone and stepped a few feet away as Leanne came towards them, noticing them standing together and looking suspiciously at them both as she got closer. They looked innocently back at her and she rolled her eyes, unable to care about what they were up to. She’d been working 18 hours and desperately needed caffeine, but she had to introduce Cole to Montoya and the rest of his team before she could even break away. She was jealous Cole had only been in about six hours and had coffee, so she decided to see just how far she could push her luck.

“Hey Momma, our patient prepped?” she asked, patting Jesse on the back as she came to stand right between them.

“You know it. He’s ready when you guys are”

“How long until we operate?” Cole asked, and Leanne crossed her arms, rocking back on her heels as she followed Cole’s coffee cup with a keen interest.

“Should be another hour, two max. Does that have sugar in it?” she asked, pointing towards his cup as Jesse just smiled to himself. He didn’t think it’d been that long since she’d had coffee, but he also hadn’t seen much of her today.

“Yeah, you want some?” Cole offered, holding the cup out to her as she looked up at him gratefully.

“I owe you,” she murmured, wrapping both hands around it, taking a few drinks before trying to hand it back to him. He held it, realizing it was about half full when he took another small sip, wordlessly passing it back to her. Leanne smiled her thanks and Cole just nodded, aware that Dr. Montoya had walked up behind them just then. His eyes flickered between the three of them, and Jesse just smiled and turned away, waiting for introductions to be made.

“Dr. Cole Guthrie, you must be Dr. Montoya; it’s nice to meet you,” he said, holding out a hand for the man to shake. Dr. Montoya gripped his hand harder than necessary, and Cole merely smiled wider at the power play. He could just picture Leanne’s eye roll, and wasn’t disappointed when he looked down at her as she sipped at his coffee. She cleared her throat, and Jesse smothered a laugh behind a well-timed cough.

“Cole, Alex and his team will be with you upstairs whenever you guys are ready. Is there an OR open?”

“Yeah, I have the one I just finished in being prepped, so we should have it soon. I’m ready to go when you are Dr.” Cole said, and Montoya just placed his hands in his pockets and nodded. Cole turned to Leanne and she nodded, raising his cup at him. Cole shook his head smirking and touched her arm, having Alex follow him upstairs as they left Jesse and Leanne alone. Leanne watched them walk away and Jesse didn’t even pause in his typing when he started talking.

“So, you’re stealing his coffee…is there something I should know?” Jesse asked pointedly, and Leanne came to lean exactly where Cole had been in order to face Jesse. She stood there and drank her coffee, finishing it before she made her way down the hall, leaving a baffled Jesse behind. He shook his head when she popped her head back around the corner.

“I thought Momma knew everything?” she asked cheekily, and kept walking when she heard Jesse’s cry of outrage and laughed to herself. He just made it too easy sometimes.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Leanne was standing outside the OR Cole and Alex were in, watching as they directed the organs to be taken to their destinations as they closed. She felt for the family, but the organs were going to save lives all over the country. She watched as they moved gracefully, and was mesmerized by their skills. She gave Cole a lot of crap, but he was a gifted surgeon without a doubt. She didn’t realize how long she’d been watching them until she heard the doors open, both Alex and Cole grinning at her as they washed their hands. Alex was first to finish, and decided to strike up a conversation in the otherwise silent room.

“So Leanne, I’m staying in LA until tomorrow morning…any chance you’ll finally take me up on my offer for dinner?” Alex asked, and Leanne just smiled briefly as her eyes flickered over to Cole, who hadn’t even flinched at the invitation. She wasn’t sure if he was able to hide his jealousy or if he didn’t care, but it was uncomfortable as ever to be in a room with both of them. Just as she was about to answer, Alex’s phone went off and he smiled apologetically, stepping outside to take the call, leaving Leanne standing there as Cole turned to her. She watched him cross his arms over his chest, but she couldn’t sense any change in attitude, and it confused her. 

“Everything go well in there?” she asked, and Cole nodded, stretching his back as he watched her squirm over his lack of reaction. It amused him, the way she still couldn’t always figure him out. 

“Are you okay Leanne?” Cole asked, and kept from laughing aloud at the frustrated look she gave him. She didn’t want to have to be the one to spell things out, but she realized he was taking his cues from her. She was the one that wasn’t ready, she was the one that questioned his motives; she was calling the shots. 

“I'm caffeine deprived and am looking forward to going home,” she replied, avoiding the real reason behind his question. She couldn't do this, at least not right now, but she swallowed her pride and let the words out before she lost her nerve. 

“Does Alex asking me out make you uncomfortable?” she asked as she shut her eyes, running her hand over her face with mild embarrassment. Cole looked at her with his eyebrows raised, not thinking she would actually ask him about his feelings.

“Does Montoya asking you out make me, your friend, uncomfortable? No. You're a single, attractive woman that can do as she pleases,” he says, and she nods, turning away from him when he reaches out a hand to catch her elbow. The touch makes her look back at him, and this time he looks more torn than a he did a second ago.

“Does Montoya asking you out make me, the man interested in you romantically, uncomfortable?” He asks, and she nods, not realizing she really needed to hear the answer.

“Yeah, like you wouldn't believe,” he admits, dropping his hand from her and straightening up as Alex pokes his head back inside. He looks at them as Cole excuses himself, and Leanne knows they’ll have to really talk soon.

“Sorry Alex, I've already got plans. I'll see you later, have a safe drive back,” she says, and misses the disappointment on the surgeon’s face as he makes his way to pack up his team.


	6. Chapter 6

Leanne had been on her couch, staring mindlessly at a marathon of Friends on some channel, when the knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts. She'd gone home following her conversation with Cole after his surgery with Alex and passed out, waking up the next day to go to work and being vaguely disappointed when she realized he had the day off. She'd worked through the day like always, but Jesse would periodically send her worried looks that made her finally ball up used post-it notes and throw them back at his head. After the first four, he finally stopped. Today, she'd seen glimpses of Cole's back, but hadn't needed a consult from him and thus didn't have a chance to talk to him. It's been two days, and she still wasn't exactly sure about what she wanted to say, but she felt like she had to say something. She blinked rapidly at the knock on her door again, and remembered exactly why she was getting up in the first place. She was hoping to see Cole tomorrow, but right now it was almost seven o’ clock and she should figure out dinner if she's expected at the hospital in less than twelve hours. She opened the door in her baggy black sweatshirt and plaid pajama pants, leaning against the door heavily when she realized who was standing in front of her.   
   
“Hey stranger,” Cole said, holding the pizza box in front of him and moving it back and forth like a peace offering as she opened the door wider, motioning him inside with a soft grin. He was a welcome surprise and she realized she wouldn't want to turn him away when he came all this way to feed her. She watched as he moved coasters under the box to keep the pizza off the counter top bar she had that separated her kitchen from her living room. She turned the lock and made her way slowly towards him, tilting her head at him as he shrugged off his leather jacket. He was wearing dark jeans again, but had on a red waffle shirt…a henley she thought it was called, that stretched over his shoulders and clung to his torso. She gave in and traced his upper body with her eyes slowly, and Cole stood up straighter when he realized she was staring.   
   
“See something you like?” He remarked teasingly, but moved around her kitchen, opening a couple cabinets until he found plates. He put them down and opened the door to her fridge, coming up with two beers and a triumphant smile on his face. He didn't actually expect her to respond, but when she did he looked speechless.   
   
“Maybe,” she said lowly as she stared back at him, making her way into his space and taking the beer from his hand, his body still frozen in place. She took out a bottle opener from a drawer and the sounds brought him back, giving her a charming smile as he sat pulled out a stool for himself to sit beside her. She was already seated, taking the plate he offered her as she handed him his beer, which he took a long drink from. He looked almost self-conscious, and she let out a quiet laugh at his expense. He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow, and she briefly wondered if they were rubbing off on one another.   
   
“You thinks that’s funny huh? Making me speechless and shit just because you can…” He says, his words lowering into a grumble as he opens the box, pulling out a piece to put on his plate, handing it to her as he takes what she assumed was her plate, putting a piece on it and placing it in front of him. She thanked him and bit her lip, trying not to laugh at how much he looked like a pouting child. She wasn't doing a good job when their eyes met, and her laugh made him laugh despite his attempt to keep a straight face. She placed a hand over her mouth to try to muffle the sound, and he instinctively reached up to pull it away, holding her wrist in his hand as he spoke to her.   
   
“Don't do that, I like to hear you laugh,” he commented, and she could feel her neck get warm at the affection in his voice as he let her go, picking up his pizza to take a bite. She did the same and they ate in silence, exchanging glances as they finished their beers and half the pizza. Leanne got up to grab another beer, motioning to Cole as he nodded. She opened the bottles and handed one to him, staying on the other side of the counter across from him, leaning on her forearms as she picked at the label absently.    
   
“So, to what do I owe the pleasure Cole? I appreciate the pizza, don't get me wrong, but what's the matter?” She asked, tilting her head back a bit to meet his eyes when he decided to look down and fiddle with his bottle too.   
   
“I just wanted to see you,” he said simply, looking back up at her, “And Jesse gave me your address so…”he trailed off. She nodded and took his words at face value, placing a hand over his on the counter when he placed his bottle down. He didn't look nervous or worried, so she assumed he'd missed her like she missed him.   
   
“It’s fine,” she whispered, and he grinned sheepishly, knowing they'd only been apart a little over two days, but was relieved she wasn't looking at him like he was nuts. With the way he’d walked away from their conversation, he felt like he owed it to her or putting her on the spot like he had. She motioned over to her couch, and he grabbed his beer, following her as she curled up on the couch, grabbing a blanket from the back as he removed his shoes. He placed them beside the couch and sat on his side, putting his feet cautiously up on the table when she nodded at him. He heard her moving around, trying to get comfortable and reached over, putting a hand on her shin over the blanket to stop her.   
   
“Here,” he said, reaching his hand under the blanket to lift both her legs, resting her feet on his lap so the blanket covered his legs too. She slouched down into the cushions, and he looked over at her mildly shocked expression. He smiled apologetically, motioning to her legs.   
   
“A guy gets cold too you know. Plus, you're more comfortable right?” He asked, his face hopeful as she reluctantly nodded, using one of her feet to poke him in the thigh. He jumped and laughed, pulling away from her touch, and she grinned evilly as she realized he was ticklish.   
   
“Don't you dare,” he threatened, pointing a finger at her as she held her hands up innocently, and he just let out an exasperated breath, his right hand coming down to rest on her left knee. She was warmer than usual under her blanket, and she tried to ignore the absent circles he rubbed over her knee as they tried to watch Friends. After ten minutes, Cole threw up his left hand, pointing accusingly at the television as he gave her an incredulous look.   
   
“Why are we watching this? This is a rip off of Living Single and I formally protest,” he said, and she had to laugh at the outrage on his face.   
   
“Have you ever even seen Living Single?” He questioned, and she nodded, interrupting what she was sure to be a rant.   
   
“I was always rooting for Khadijah and Scooter,” she commented, and he looked at her like she had a second head.   
   
“Scooter?! No, Alonzo should have been given a real shot,” he threw back, and she couldn't believe they were arguing over a fictional couple. She shook her head and he nodded insistently.   
   
“I'm not wrong-“ he started, but she cut him off before he could pick up steam.   
   
“You know you look a bit like Scooter, right?” She asked, and she laughed outright at the indignation in his voice.   
   
“That's it, I don't think this friendship is going to last,” Cole said mourningly as she reached over and smacked his shoulder with the back of her left hand. He tried to dodge, but her legs kept him in place as they both laughed. She didn't think she'd laughed this much with another person aside from Jesse, and it felt good. She pulled the remote from under her and went searching for another show, and gave Cole a pointed look when she found Living Single on.   
   
“Oh don't look at me like that…” He grouched, and sunk down into her cushions as she did the same, turning her face into her pillow when she realized this was the episode Scooter came back for Khadijah when she was with Alonzo, trying to muffle her laughter. He gave her a sulking look as he moaned in protest.   
   
“You can't be serious…” 


	7. Chapter 7

It wasn't until her phone rang that Leanne realized two things; the first being that she wasn't in bed, and that her phone was obviously somewhere in the kitchen, and second, she was incredibly warm. The warmth didn't alarm her until she felt movement that wasn't her, and she froze when she noticed that there was a hand on the side of her back and hip she had pressed into the couch. Last night was coming back to her, and she relaxed when she realized it was just Cole that was curled around her, and her lack of reaction was a testament to how tired she still felt. She was laying with the front of her body facing the back of the couch, Cole's arm keeping her from falling off the edge. Her feet were under his thigh, his feet dangling off her couch touching the floor as the blanket covered about half his body. She drew her eyes back up and saw Cole's right arm curled under his head, his even breaths ghosting over the skin of her stomach where her sweatshirt had ridden up.    
   
She then felt his fingers flex against the skin of her lower back, and she shut her eyes against the goosebumps that spread over her skin at the contact. She hadn't fallen asleep with a man in a while and she still wasn't awake enough to fully process this, let alone freak out. She reached behind the couch to the table she kept there, praying she'd dropped her phone there and not in the kitchen, because getting up seemed like a terrible idea for a number of reasons. She felt around blindly and mentally cheered when she pulled the phone to her, but frowned when she realized it was Cole's phone she'd grabbed. She looked back down at him and bit her lip, loath to wake him up, but it was a page from the hospital. She knew he should listen to the message, so regretfully she tried to pull away from him, only to be pulled tighter to him, his face resting against the material bunched on her side.   
   
“Five more minutes,” he mumbled into the fabric, his fingers gripping her skin tighter before relaxing into the couch again. She jumped at the touch and he opened one eye slowly, closing it again as he took a deep breath and exhaled it, unknowingly against Leanne’s skin.   
   
“Can you stop doing that…” She muttered, squirming in his arms as he pulled his arm away from her to rub his face tiredly, finally letting Leanne place a foot on the floor to sit up.    
   
She felt Cole shift behind her and she got up, trying to clear her head as she searched for her phone, placing his phone beside his head. She noticed her phone was dead and plugged it in, giving it a minute to power up when she saw she had two missing calls from Jesse, and started to panic when she realized she was supposed to be at the hospital at 7 am, which was twenty minutes ago. She dropped her head into her left hand, kicking herself and mentally figuring out how she'd get to work as soon as possible when Cole walked into the kitchen, eyes still only half open, a hand under his shirt to scratch absently at his stomach. Despite everything else going on, she distantly was satisfied that she was right; he did have well-defined abs. She turned around and started her coffee maker, listening to Cole yawn as she moved towards her room. She went digging into her drawers to find clean scrubs, pulling them out and taking them to the bathroom before she came out, checking on Cole before she got ready. He was typing on his phone rapidly, and looked up at her when he heard her footsteps. She smiled and he did the same, both feeling a bit off-kilter.    
   
“There was an accident on 101, they need me at work as soon as I can get there,” he said, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck nervously. She nodded, motioning down the hall so he knew she wasn't going to say anything until they'd had a chance to process, separately.   
   
“Shower is the second door on your right; you're welcome to use it. I have to get ready so...” she said, motioning to her own bathroom, trying not to be any more awkward than she already was. Cole was relieved, nodding and thanking her as he walked away, and she berated herself all the way into her own shower, knowing her focus should be on getting out of the house, and not Cole in the shower less than thirty feet from her.   
   
When she came out her room dressed for the day, she found Cole on the phone, and she motioned to the coffee machine, getting out two travel mugs and shaking one in his direction. He nodded and mouthed his thanks as he stayed on the phone, talking someone through a procedure and assuring the other person on the phone that he'd be there soon. He ended his call and she saw he was ready to go like she was, his jacket and shoes on, keys in hand. He walked up beside her and she handed him a mug silently, screwing the lid on hers as he took a drink. He grinned behind his cup as he hummed contently.   
   
She nudged him with her shoulder as she walked past him, reaching for her cell phone and grabbing her bag. She double checked she had her keys as they walked towards the door, Cole looking at her briefly as she closed and locked the door behind her.   
   
“I've grabbed coffee with you enough to know how you take it,” she mentioned, and they fell into step with one another as they made their way down her walkway and towards their cars, “but yes, we do drink it the same way”   
   
Leanne was holding her coffee in one hand as she tried to unlock her car, pressing her remote rather harshly when she realized there was no sound or light. She shut her eyes in frustration as Cole voiced his concern, and all Leanne did was hold her remote in his line of site, pressing the unlock button repeatedly as she took a deep breath. She felt the remote being taken out of her hand gently, feeling Cole's hand on her back as he pushed her past her car and towards his.   
   
“Dammit. I left the overhead light on looking for my credit card last night,” she muttered, dread coloring her voice as they stopped walking behind her car.   
   
“Do you have jumper cables?” Cole asked, unlocking his car and opening his door, folding his arms over the hood as he looked back at her. She looked at him like he'd asked a stupid question, and he just shrugged his shoulders helplessly, “Hey, I'm just asking”   
   
“No, I don't have cables. I'm so late…” She said, looking back at her car like the traitor it was. She'd deal with this when she got home, but she just didn't have the time to figure this out right now. Cole motioned toward his passenger door, getting in and rolling down the window so Leanne had to lean down to look at him.   
   
“You're late and I know I have spare scrubs in my locker. I'll give you a ride and jump your car after shift, that work for you?” Cole offered, and Leanne climbed in, drinking her coffee silently as she stewed on her chaotic morning all the way to work. This wasn't how she'd imagined her morning going, and she was wondering just how much of Jesse's teasing she'd be able to handle before trying to lock him in a supply closet. Out of love of course.  


	8. Chapter 8

When Cole pulled into a parking spot, Leanne took a breath and opened her door, meeting him in front of the car and striding into work like he wasn't wearing yesterday's clothes and Leanne hadn't come in with him. They passed by the nurses station that was thankfully lacking Jesse and her residents, and they looked at one another relieved until they turned the corner, almost colliding with Neal and Rollie. Leanne could feel the color drain from her face as Rollie gave her a _look_ , and Neal just kept moving his eyes between them questioningly. She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her, but Cole stood there and faked calm much more convincingly, greeting them both.

“Dad, Dr. Hudson. Did either of you hear anything more on the accident on 101?” He questioned, and they engaged in conversation while Leanne slipped by, going into the lounge to put her things away and try to right herself. She was shutting her locker when Cole came in, and she kept her eyes forward as she threw her hair up into a ponytail. He walked behind her and rested a warm hand on the back of her neck, running his thumb against the skin behind her ear before he moved past her.

“Breathe,” he murmured as he pulled his hand away, disappearing from her line of sight as she took a breath, holding it before she released it slowly.

“Yeah, easy for you to say,” she mumbles, just loud enough for him to hear. His head pokes around the corner of a row of lockers, shirt half on, and Leanne can feel her irritation steadily increasing. She didn’t even drop her eyes when she narrowed them at him, and Cole gave her a confused look.

“What did I do?” he asked, and Leanne slammed her locker harder than necessary before putting both hands on her hips as she faced him. He ducked back to change pants she assumed, and she couldn’t help the way her voice rose slightly as she spoke.

“You know when I walk out of here, there’s going to be whispered conversations and looks about us right? Do you have any idea how difficult that is to have to deal with?” she asked sarcastically, and she saw the way his eyes steeled, standing up straighter as they stared at one another. There was maybe ten feet between them, but Cole thought it was more like a few miles. He could see the distance she was trying to put between them, and his confusion gave way to irritation.

“I understand-“

“No Cole, you really don’t,” she interrupted, and he scoffed at her, “You don’t have to stand there as everyone thinks they can throw out speculation on your personal life. I’ve worked hard to make sure no one thought they had the right to comment, but getting close to you…” she said, trailing off as she caught a glimpse of the hurt on Cole’s face when he realized what she was trying to say.

“Being friends with me has undermined that. Yeah, I can see how that would happen,” he said, voice lowering and void of emotion which contrasted sharply with the slam of his own locker. He clipped on his badge and threw on his coat, and Leanne felt like she’d hurt his feelings on purpose and didn’t know how to take it back. In this moment though, she knew there was some truth to her words. He did complicate her life, and it was a lot to try to swallow.

“Cole-“

“It’s fine Leanne, I will make sure from now on our professional lives are the only thing people will talk about,” he said, walking towards the door with purpose. She reached out a hand to grab his arm, and the way he flinched and pulled away from her said more about his feelings than his words could right now. He turned towards her, his body half out the door as he spoke, and Leanne stood there, arm falling to her side as he angled himself away from her.

“Don’t worry about me. Like I said before, I’m a big boy,” he said lowly, and she was thrown back to the surgery her performed on a former girlfriend as he walked away from her, not even bothering to look back. She ran a hand over her face, already exhausted and not wanting to leave the locker room when she knew she had no choice. She had a job to do, and her feelings would just have to wait. Stalking out the door and into the ER, where she sees Neal hovering, making a beeline for her as she walks forward.

“Not now,” she says, her tone final as she moved past him, going to Jesse as a gurney rolls in. Neal sighs and looks after her, guilt eating at him. He was just trying to tell her that the residents meeting the ambulance had seen her and Cole come in, and he'd already overheard some terribly imaginative theories.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Dude, did you see them together?” Mario said hours later, after their patients had been treated and they had to finish all of the new charts. He was looking at Christa and Angus primarily, because last time Malaya scolded him for gossiping and this was too good to pass up. He saw her roll her eyes beside him, but Angus looked excited to jump in.

“This isn't even the first time! Do you remember when I told you about Guthrie Jr. flirting with her when he first started?” Angus damn near gushed, and Mario nodded, while Christa just shook her head amused at their chatter.

“Yeah, man…I didn't think Rorish had it in her….” Mario trailed off lost in thought, and Malaya and Christa both reached over to smack him upside the head. He let out a yelp as he rubbed the back of his head, giving them a dark look as Angus tried to smother a snort.

“Stop talking about this, it's none of our business,” Christa said, and Malaya nodded, pointing at both men accusingly. They just shrugged, all of them unaware that Jesse was around the corner, listening to them and waiting for a free minute to have a conversation with his favorite doctor.

“I'm not trying to be creepy, but come on, you have to admit they're a hot couple,” Mario said, and Angus nodded, giving both women convincing looks as Malaya finally caved. She gave Christa a guilty look and leaned toward Angus, and Christa just threw her hands up before writing more notes.

“Hey, I'm the one that said Guthrie Jr. was hot; I just didn't think she'd be interested in him. I mean, there must be something about him that keeps her interested? And no,” she said, cutting off the creepy comment Mario was going to say, “not in that way. Plus, I wonder how long they’ve been together. I just mean, them together is surprising”

“Not really,” Christa mentioned flippantly, and the other three stare at her as she squeezes her eyes shut. She didn't mean to say that aloud, but now she had to explain herself. She shrugged, keeping her eyes on her chart as she spoke, thinking about her words carefully.

“I mean, you can't be that surprised. We all heard about Guthrie throwing the computer and that he's been through his own stuff. We know about Dr. Rorish’s past; two people that have that kind of history just connect,” she said, and Malaya looked thoughtfully at her, nodding as Angus shrugged, mulling it over while Mario stared at her.

“That's your reasoning? They both have crappy pasts, so of course they'll end up together?”

“No,” she said, affronted at the overly simplistic phrasing, “all I'm saying is that, when someone understands what you've been through, it's easier to let them in. Maybe that's what happened between them; maybe he made the effort to get to know her and she didn't feel judged. Plus, we’re not even sure they’re actually together. I don't know, you asked…” She said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as Mario rolled his eyes.

They all jumped when Jesse popped up behind Malaya and scattered, each going in different directions and abandoning their current tasks. He laughed to himself; they were going to be a jumpy bunch for the next several days, he just knew it already. He waited for Leanne to walk towards him, coffee mug in hand as she sat on the desk Mario previously occupied staring at the wall behind him. He tried to not say anything, but as her best friend, he wanted to know she was okay with everything.

“So…” he started, leaning against her thigh and throwing an arm around her shoulders, “how are you doing?” He asked, and she just rested her head on his shoulder tiredly for a second before replying.

“Neal talked to you didn't he?” Jesse gave her a confused look that she returned, and he shrugged.

“Malaya and the other residents didn't know I was nearby. They saw you and Cole come in so…are you okay?” He repeated the sentiment, and Leanne nodded, bringing her coffee cup up to her lips as she took a long drink. He could feel her tense, and he ran a hand down her arm as she sat still, eventually shaking her head back and forth slowly.

“What happened?” he asked cautiously, watching the way she fiddled with her cup as she avoided his imploring gaze. He finally placed a hand on top of her cup, and she blew out a frustrated breath as she spoke softly to him.

“We had an argument; I told him all of the unwanted attention was his fault-“

“Oh sweetie, you didn’t,” Jesse commented, and he got a glare in return.

“Yeah well…it is to some degree. I just…I don’t know how to deal with this entire morning and I took it out on him,” she said, and Jesse pulled away and grabbed her arm making her abandon her coffee, dragging her down the hall and into a supply closet for privacy.

“We’ve talked about your manners…” she muttered darkly, and he waved her off as they stood a foot away from one another, door muffling the sounds outside for a minute.

“I know you guys arrived together, but what happened before you got here that had you so wound up?” he asked, his mind going directly to the obvious answer when she punched him in the arm, but not as gently as he would have liked.

“Nothing like that. He came over last night, which reminds me,” she said, titling her head as Jesse froze, “He told me you gave him my address. Anything you want to share?” she asked pointedly, and Jesse stood his ground, shaking his head.

“Not really. Now what happened,” he repeated, and she dropped down onto a bucket behind her, cradling her head.

“We had dinner, we argued over his hatred of Friends and our opinions on Living Single-“

“Max is my girl,” Jesse stated, and Leanne looked up at him and laughed, hating that he could lighten her mood when she desperately wanted to wallow.

“Yeah well, we sat there watching a marathon I think, and after an episode or two, I guess we fell asleep,” she said, her neck getting warm as she remembered waking up to him this morning, “And then his phone woke us up. Mine was dead, so I didn’t get your message until afterward, and then my car was dead…I’m just not ready to deal with any of this crap right now,” she admitted, and Jesse pulled her up and into a bear hug as she held on tightly.

“I should probably talk to him once he’s calmed down,” Leanne says into his scrubs, and she could feel his nod against her shoulder. She pulled away and Jesse looked at her, and she titled her head.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said shrugging, opening the door and motioning for her to walk out first, knowing she didn’t need anymore advice, just some time to herself.

“I’m gonna get going, I have to get home…” she said, eyes shutting when she remembered Cole had offered to jump her car, and she didn’t have a ride home . She turned to Jesse, and the guilty look on his face stopped her in her tracks.

“What did you do?” she asked threateningly, and he took a small step back, hands in front of him in surrender and for protection.

“Cole asked me earlier for your car keys; said he promised to fix your car since he was supposed to have today off anyway,” he said slowly, and the look on Leanne’s face was scaring him a bit.

“He dropped them off an hour ago; Rollie had a longer break before his double, so they were going to get dinner and he dropped your car in the parking lot. Rollie said he drove Cole’s car back since they were both working tonight” Jesse said, and the torn look on Leanne’s face killed him.

“He really-“

“He really brought your car in. I didn’t know about what happened-“ Jesse tried to explain, but Leanne cut him off with a hand gesture, her eyes on the floor as she patted his shoulder softly.

“It’s fine, I just…I have to get home. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“You know it. Get some sleep,” he called after her, and he could hear her scoff as she kept walking. It was worth a shot.  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cole walked into the locker room, his muscles sore from surgery as he dropped onto the bench in front of his locker, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands. He was mentally and physically exhausted, and he was looking forward to going home and forgetting the last day and a half entirely. Fighting with Leanne had hurt more than he thought it would, but he’d made her a promise about her car…And despite what was said between them, he still cared. One argument wouldn’t change that. He reached up to open his locker, remaining seated as he pulled the handle, and a piece of paper fell out that he managed to catch in mid-air. It was a folded post-it, and he pulled apart the side that was stuck together, revealing delicate script that had him feeling as if the goosebumps on his arms had been there all along.

_I really am sorry. And thank you._

He wanted to crumple it up and throw it, but instead he folded it back up and slid it into a slot in his wallet, making sure it was safe before he got up to leave.


	9. Chapter 9

Leanne came in the next afternoon, and she hadn’t heard from Cole, even though she hadn’t expected to. They had the conversation about her unknowingly hurting his feelings once, but this time she’d done it, at least partially, on purpose. She was tired of feeling like she was the only one exposed, and it had changed their…relationship. She couldn’t even say friendship, because it was too simple for what they had. There was an understanding there, but there was also a lot of past issues on each of their parts. Leanne walked into the locker room to change, opening her locker and pausing at what she saw. She found a piece of ripped paper folded on top of her shoes, and she dropped her bag onto the bench as she reached for it. She knew who it was from before she even opened it, and that caused her to pause, not sure that she wanted to read what was inside. Eventually she bit the bullet, and tears threatened to fall by the time she was done.

_**I’m sorry for making everything harder on you. It won’t happen again.** _

This wasn’t what she wanted, but she knew that Cole couldn’t have known that. He was giving her space because she’d basically demanded it, but she knew it probably hurt him to have to write that. Hell, it hurt to read, and yet she kept rereading it until her vision was too blurry to continue. She sat, holding the paper in one hand as she looked up, willing her tears to fall later. She hated how involved they’d become; he could reduce her to tears with a note and she wished it wasn’t so personal. She wiped at a tear that fell when she heard the door open, and she dropped her head and looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with whoever had just walked in. She heard a throat clear and she looked over, seeing Rollie a couple feet from her as Cole held onto the door, his eyes dropping and looking incredibly uncomfortable. Rollie just looked between the two of them, and Leanne saw the sympathy on his face. They must have talked about her the other day, and she could feel embarrassment set it.

“I’ll uh, see you later Dad,” Cole mumbled, backing out and moving down the hall and away from the awkward atmosphere. Leanne looked over at Rollie, and he just had his hands in the pockets of his jacket, looking at her like he always had.

“So, I take it he told you?” she asked, pulling out her scrubs and pulling her shirt on over her long sleeve. Rollie nodded, bringing a hand up to rub the side of his jaw.

“Just said that your friendship was too much and he had to step back. I’m not sure what I expected,” Rollie said, and Leanne looked at him confusedly as he continued, “I wanted him to open up to people, but he has the tendency to run when it all becomes too much. I’m sorry Leanne, I was hoping maybe this time it was different. He’s been here almost six months, I thought he’d changed some,” he admitted, and Leanne could swear she was suffocating. He thought Cole had pushed her away, and that was why he didn’t want to talk about her. Cole made Rollie think it was entirely his fault that he couldn’t be close to her, that he was the one that couldn’t let her in. He’d taken the blame, and she didn’t care what he’d said, she had to track him down because this…he deserved more than what she’d given him.

“I’m sorry Rollie, but I have to…” she started to say, flailing as she grabbed her badge and closed her locker, tucking his note in the pocket of her pants, “I needed a consult from Cole; is he still in?” she asked hesitantly, praying the answer was yes.

“Yeah, he said he had some paperwork to do. He’s probably in his office,” he said, and Leanne smiled her thanks, making her way around him and out the door to find Cole.

* * *

 

She slowed as she got closer to his office, his blinds shut but door open. She paused in the doorway, watching the way he focused on his task, not even looking up when she spoke.

“You have a minute?” she asked, and she watched him freeze before he started writing again, this time with more vigor.

“Yeah, what do you need?” he asked in a bored tone, keeping his eyes firmly on the paper in front of him as she stepped in, closing his door behind her and resting against it. She stood there silently as he kept writing, and finally he let out a sigh before dropping his pen, looking up at her with a cool expression. She tried to smile at him, but he just laced his fingers together and looked up at her expectantly, if not mildly uncomfortable as well.

“Can we start over?” she sighed, and saw the way he shook his head, his face flashing a vulnerable look before he turned to type something on his computer. She held her breath, knowing he’d eventually say something; he always did.

“No, we can’t start over,” he said, his voice holding a warning tone that she disregarded entirely because she wasn’t afraid of his temper in the least bit. They were evenly matched in that department.

“Why?” she asked, and he dropped his shoulders, his fingers pausing before moving away from his keyboard altogether. He turned to look at her, and she could see the fire in his eyes; there was hurt there, and she knew she had no one else to blame but herself.

“Because, I won’t start over with you,” he answered, and his eyes pleaded with her to accept his answer and move on, but being herself, she pushed.

“Can’t we try?”

“I don’t want to,” he said, and she dropped her eyes momentarily at the finality in his words, but looked back at him because knew they could get past this if he just let her try. He dropped his head and looked down at his hands, his voice softer when he spoke this time.

“Because if I do,” he started, and this time when they locked eyes, she could see the conflict he felt as he continued, “It means I have to forget what we’ve been through these past few months. I have to forget what it’s like to hold you when you cry,” he said lowly, and she bit her lip to keep herself from interrupting him. It looked like he had to get this out, and she knew on some level, she had to hear this. She was ready to hear this.

“I have to forget how you’ve looked at me, and how I look at you; like I don’t know you give orders in your sleep,” he said, the tease in his eyes welcoming, but his sad look took it’s place just as fast.

“I’ve opened up to you about Dad, and we’re getting along because I thought…that if you could get past everything you’ve been dealt, I could sure as hell try. I wanted to be a better man, because it seemed like you knew I had it in me,” he admitted, and she felt her heart thud harder in her chest; she didn’t honestly know she’d made that much of an impact. He’d never said so until now.

“We don’t have to forget the good parts, do we?” she asked, and he gave her an assessing look, shaking his head when he realized she was absolutely clueless.

“Every single thing we’ve done has shaped what he have. If we start over, it’s like saying none of that mattered. If we don’t, then we have to move forward from here, and you don’t want that. So I don’t know what you want from me,” he says, and she gestures helplessly in front of her, before she moves forward, dropping into a chair in front of his desk.

“I didn’t say that,” she said, and he raised an eyebrow at her, his disbelieving look obvious.

“You didn’t have to,” he threw back, his tone harsher than he intended, but she took it in stride. She’d heard that he’d said ‘what we have’ not ‘had’, and that left her with hope that he wasn’t willing to let what they have slip away so easily.

“Did you ever think that maybe I wasn’t ready for any of this?” she said, grasping at straws. He just gave her a cold look, and she leaned back, hating to see him so upset because of her.

“I know you aren’t ready for a relationship. I haven’t actively thought about asking you on a date since that first breakfast; I just wanted to get to know you. And I did. You let me in, and I thought that maybe, I was becoming someone you could count on…” he said trailing off, not sure if he should continue. She saw the indecision on his face and motioned for him to continue.

“And that maybe, just maybe, you’d realize that I didn’t have an agenda. My feelings for you haven’t wavered, but when you,” he said, pausing briefly and hoping she didn’t catch his slip, “when you care about someone, their needs come first,” he finished, and she looked at him, her face thoughtful; she’d caught the hesitation in his voice, but wasn’t sure if she should comment on it.

“I know you care about me, and Cole…you should know by now that I care about you too,” she said, and he looked at her, giving her that confused look she hated.

“I should? Because if that’s the case, where the hell have I been,” he commented, turning back to type something on his computer, uneasy with the turn in their conversation.

“Don’t do that,” she chided gently, and she saw him roll his eyes.

“Leanne, can we just have some space? I’ll get over this, I just need some time where you and I aren’t constantly in each other’s faces,” he asked, and she shook her head at him.

“No, I can’t do that Cole,” she said gently, and the look he gave her broke her heart. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to get away from her.

“Please Leanne, do this for me,” he pleaded, and she looked away, the desperation in his voice hard to hear.

“I can’t. If I do,” she said, taking a deep breath as Cole looked at her, his emotions written all over his face, “If I do, I won’t forgive myself for pushing you away. I won’t ruin whatever we could have. I wasn’t ready then,” she said, and the soft catch in her voice drew his eyes to her, knowing she wasn’t just telling him what he wanted to hear.

“And now?” he asked tentatively, hating the way he sounded entirely too hopeful after everything they’d been through lately.

“Now…I think I’m ready to try,” she said in a whisper, tears making her voice soft and breathy. He gave her a look she wasn’t familiar with, a mix between tenderness and and optimism, and it made her stomach knot with anticipation. She’d been telling herself for over a month now that this feeling wasn’t real; but looking at his smile, she knew it was entirely his fault and she wasn’t upset about it in the least bit.

The knock on the door startled them both, and Cole jumped to his feet as Leanne did the same, coming face to face with Angus. They both crossed their arms and stared at him when he just looked between them helplessly, unsure as to who he should be addressing when Leanne finally said something.

“Angus, what’s wrong?” she asked, her stomach dropping when looked at her, the fear in his eyes unmistakable.

“It’s Jesse, he had a heart attack” he rushed out, all Leanne heard as they raced out of Cole’s office was the blood pounding in her ears.


	10. Chapter 10

Leanne got to the ER, Cole almost plastered to her back when she stopped, watching as they wheeled Jesse past her, barely hearing the fact that they were taking him up to surgery when she tried to follow. Cole grabbed both of her biceps to hold her in place as he gave her an apologetic look. She raised her eyebrow at him, but he didn’t relinquish his hold until the elevator doors closed, and then took a step away when she wheeled around to yell at him.   
   
“I know you want to be in there, but you can’t,” he said, and the pissed off expression on her face didn’t budge as people moved around them, none of them brave enough to approach them as they tended to other patients.   
   
“Cole-“   
   
“You can’t,” he stressed, and she just crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. He did the same, standing his ground until she listened to reason.    
   
“They have DeLucca operating; you know he’s going to do everything he can Leanne,” he explained, but tears gathered in her eyes as she felt his hands settle on her shoulders. She instinctively placed her hands on each of his forearms, needing to ground herself because she knew Cole was just trying to help.   
   
“They need you down here-“   
   
“But it’s Jesse,” she whispered, and he wanted to pull her into a hug, to maybe give her some comfort, but he knew it wasn’t the time or place. He could feel some of the staff stare, and he looked up to give people cold looks so they’d stop.   
   
“I know, I know it’s Jesse. But you can’t operate on him, and they need you to keep things running down here,” he said gently, motioning around the ER with his head as she looked down in despair.   
   
“But, what if something happens-“   
   
“Then I’ll be there,” he said, and she looked up at him, not sure what to say.   
   
“I don’t have anything critical on my schedule, and you guys aren’t bogged down for the time being. I’ll scrub in and watch over him for you, okay?” he offered, and she dropped her hands to his sides, pulling herself into his body, wrapping her arms around him as he did the same. His arms wound around her shoulders, his chin resting on her head as she placed her forehead on his chest. Their hug was extremely public this time, and he said so as he held her tightly, reluctant to let her go unless she pushed him away.   
   
“I don’t care,” she said into his shirt, and he held her tighter, trying to comfort the woman who was desperately close to falling apart in his arms.   
 

* * *

  
 Cole was rinsing his hands, having just gotten out of Jesse’s surgery. He was tempted to walk down to the ER and tell her, but he’d had a nurse page her, and that’s where he was headed now. He’d known it wasn’t going to be an easy surgery, especially because Jesse was one of theirs, but he didn’t expect to be walking down with DeLucca, and coming face to face with over twenty of their colleagues. Leanne, Neal, and her residents were the first ones to notice them, and Cole looked at DeLucca who motioned towards them as he went to the nurses station. Neal was holding Leanne’s hand, and they let go of one another when Leanne looked at Cole’s face, eyes red and puffy as she made her way to him slowly.   
   
“Well?” Neal said loudly from behind her, getting everyone’s attention in the process. Cole looked around, Leanne only a few feet from him when he spoke.   
   
“He pulled through and is resting,” he exhaled, and watched as everyone let out sighs and tears of relief. He looked down as Leanne came within arms reach, and he opened his arms immediately to catch her. They’d been upset at one another two days ago, and here he was, feeling her tears seep into his scrubs and touch his skin. He saw the way Neal watched them, and he hugged Leanne closer, protectively winding his arms around her shorter frame. Neal just nodded at him, and Cole nodded back, feeling as if they’d reached some sort of understanding.   
   
“You want to go see him? DeLucca said it was fine while he called his family,” Cole whispered into her hair, feeling her nod as she pulled herself slowly out of his arms. She was still beautiful despite the tears she’d shed, and he knew he was done. She was it for him. He didn’t know when she’d held his heart captive, but he was willing to surrender; he just didn’t think now was the best time to voice his revelation. They had plenty of time; he knew she was worth every second. Leanne wiped at her eyes and gave him a grateful smile beginning to walk away from Cole until she realized he wasn’t following her. She turned sideways to look at him, only to find him already staring at her.   
   
“Aren’t you coming?” she asked, and he ran a hand over his neck, ducking his head to look down at her.   
   
“I just thought you might want some time alone…” he said, and watched the way she smiled, making a subtle movement with her left hand, holding it out behind her hip. She moved her fingers a bit, and he understood this was her trying. So he reached forward with his right hand, placing his palm against hers as he threaded their fingers together.    
   
He followed her back down the hallway, turning the corner and seeing Jesse’s room in front of them until she pulled them to a stop. He watched as she took a step in front of him, their intertwined hands shifting and resting against her left hip as she raised herself onto her toes. He leaned down instinctively, thinking she was going to ask him something, when he felt her left hand pull his right behind her back, bringing him in closer. Her right hand reached up to touch the back of his neck, bringing his mouth down to hers as she kissed him softly. He pulled her in closer with their hands behind her back, his left hand coming up to cradle the back of her neck, tilting her head back so he could kiss her more fully. He lost himself in Leanne pressed up against him, her nose against his as she nipped at his bottom lip. She pulled back, but he followed, tilting his head to kiss her deeper, running his tongue against her lower lip before he pulled it into his mouth. The low moan in the back of her throat was satisfying, and when he pulled away, he could see Leanne watching him, her pupils dilated and a faint blush against her skin.   
   
“That was pretty public,” he whispered, voice husky, lips bumping as she brought their faces closer again. She bit her lip trying to contain her grin, but he brought his thumb up to pull her lip softly from between her teeth, keeping his hand under her chin so he could keep looking at her.   
   
“I don’t care,” she said, for the second time that day, and Cole pulled her in for another kiss. He could get used to being told things repeatedly if they could keep having moments like this. 


	11. Chapter 11

After Jesse's heart attack, Cole didn't see much of Leanne unless he happened to run into Jesse a few weeks after he returned to work. She'd seemed busy, but he was also willing to admit that he wasn't trying as hard as he should to be around her. The more he thought about their kiss, the more unsettled he felt. He'd been so wrapped up in the moment that he didn't question why she'd kissed him, but now he knew that it wasn't as simple as he'd try to let himself believe. He knew Leanne was a complex woman, but every time he caught a glimpse of her, his heart would pound and he'd find himself in another part of the hospital, avoiding her altogether. He knew she was getting suspicious, but he couldn't shake the feeling that what he felt for her wasn’t mutual. Yeah, she may like him, but maybe she didn't think he was a serious contender for a place in her life, and the thought of having her tell him that to his face made his heart ache. He wasn't ready to give Leanne up, so keeping his distance kept him from a possibly crippling reality without her. He'd invested too much of himself in her too quickly and he was going to pay the price for it, it was just a matter of when. 

He'd come into the locker room to change before heading home and what he wasn't prepared for was Neal closing his locker, looking like he was leaving as well. He remembered the look they shared when Cole had comforted Leanne, but the look he was getting now was less understanding and more filled with irritation. He didn't know the man well, but he had a feeling they both had a problem keeping their opinions to themselves when it came to the people they cared about. 

“Cole,” Neal said quietly, head tilting down in acknowledgment as Cole did the same. He didn't want to talk about his feelings, or about Leanne, but if Neal kept staring at him, he knew that's what would end up happening. He tried to ignore the heavy silence as he changed, but finally turned around and let out an exasperated breath as Neal leaned by the door, a blank expression on his face.

“Is there something I can help you with Neal?” 

“Well, it may not be my place-“ he started, but was quickly cut off by Cole.

“Then don’t pry Hudson,” he muttered almost threateningly, his temper flaring, knowing that a lecture was the last thing he wanted right now.

“Like I said, it may not be my place, but can I ask you a question?” He asked pointedly, and Cole went to tie his shoes, mumbling about how that technically was a question, but Neal ignored him in favor of pushing forward.

“You and Leanne...you must have figured people would notice," he commented, and Cole felt his muscles tense, not liking the tone of Neal's voice one bit. He straightened up, making eye contact as he adjusted his sleeves.

"There is no Leanne and I," Cole said carefully.

"Well, that's not what it seems..." Neal replied, quirking an eyebrow at the obviously defensive surgeon. He watched as Cole crossed his arms over his chest defiantly,Neal stood up straighter, making his intentions clear.

"I've seen the way she looks at you Cole and I can't help but wonder if one day she'll lose that ease in her smile because she chose to let you in," Neal says honestly, and Cole is taken aback. He didn't think he'd be getting a warning from Neal, he really expected Jesse to put him in his place. 

"What makes you think I'd ever hurt her?" Cole asked, uncomfortable with just how much Neal seemed to want to protect Leanne. He didn't want to butt heads with someone that was so important in her life, but he also didn't want to be told that he was damn near doomed to disappoint her.

"Experience. When people get close, let others see the demons they're hiding, they leave and never look back. Jesse and I have seen Leanne torn apart too many times to let it keep happening," he stated, with an air of finality Cole took in stride.

"With all do respect Neal, that's not your choice to make," Cole said, knowing he was walking a fine line. The scoff Neal let out confirmed it.

"With all due respect Cole," Neal mimicked, shifting his weight before grasping the door handle, "If we need to pick up the pieces that are left from your relationship with Leanne, let's just say there won't be a place for you at Angel's any longer," Neal said, and walked out the door as Cole sat on the bench, head in hands as he gives their conversation a minute to sink in. There was knowledge behind his assessment of their...relationship and Cole didn't want to admit that a little voice in his head was agreeing with Neal. He knew he had a temper, hell, Leanne knew it too, but he never thought that he'd be the one to walk away from her.

In all of his worrying, leaving Leanne hadn't even crossed his mind. At least, not if she wanted him around. He'd been worried all this time that she'd pull away from him, and that was why he was afraid to be alone with her again; he knew she'd be the one to tear out his heart and not even realize it. She had her own issues and she'd think she was protecting herself, but Cole knew no one would see the way he'd fall apart if it ever came to that. He had his father, but he didn't have any other people he could lean on when he needed them; except Leanne. He knew, or at least he hoped, that if he needed her, she'd be there because she wanted to be. Everything good he had now, all the things he's worked on for himself were aided by her. His father wouldn't have been able to reach him if Cole didn't take a hard look at his anger because of Leanne. He had patched up his issues with Jesse because he knew how important Jesse is to Leanne, and he'd didn't want her to ever think that he didn't value the people she held in the highest regard. He didn't ever want her to give up on him because he couldn't make her concerns a priority; she was definitely a priority to him. He heard the door open and he hoped like hell that Neal would refrain from any more wisdom. He didn't know if he could keep beating himself up and still pretend like he was unaffected, it was exhausting.

"Hey stranger," he heard, and he let out a chuckle that almost bordered on panicked, because he wasn't ready to face Leanne just yet. He was being a coward, and she deserved for him to at least have his head on straight before trying to explain himself. He wasn't given that option when she sat beside him, straddling the bench as she faced his shoulder. He tensed and didn't take his head from his hands, he could see the hurt she was trying to hide as she slowly got up.

"Never mind..." she said quietly, but he looked over and reached out his hand to tug at her wrist, not wanting her to leave, but also not ready to be this honest with her. He was afraid to lose her, but he'd be damned if he let her walk out the door because he'd hurt her feelings unintentionally. He was tired of their miscommunication. 

"Don't go," he mumbled, and she sat back down, his hand releasing her wrist as she faced him again. He hadn't moved, but he figured this might be easier on him if he didn't have to see her face every second.

"You want to tell me why you've been avoiding me..." she whispered, reaching her hand out to touch his shoulder, but dropping it before she did. He felt uneasiness creep in, and Neal's words kept rolling around in his head. 

"You've been busy making sure Jesse was back on his feet; I was just staying out of the way," he said lowly, it was a half truth at best. He really didn't want to get between them when Leanne had come so close to feeling like she was going to lose Jesse, but he also used it to reexamine everything they'd been doing.

"Okay, I'll buy that. But it's been three weeks Cole; I wouldn't have minded spending some of my time with you too," she admitted, and he looked over at her from where his head was resting in his palms. Her slight smile was genuine, but it held some confusion at his actions and he didn't know what she wanted him to say.

"Talk to me," she pushed gently, he shook his head as he stared back at the lockers in front of him.

"It's nothing," he lied, and she placed a hand on his thigh, forcing him to look over at her in surprise, but also making it unavoidable to see the hurt she didn't even bother to hide from him.

"I thought we were good?" she questioned cautiously, and he bit his lip, still not ready to discuss this. He didn't think he'd ever be ready to be that emotionally exposed, and it made him angry at himself. If there was ever someone to be emotionally bare with, it was her.

"We are good Leanne. Really," he said, and she cocked an eyebrow at his audacity to keep it up.

"I thought you trusted me-"

"I do. It's not about that," he said, and meant every word.

"Then what is it? Why are you shutting me out?" she asked exasperated, and he threw his hands out in front of him like he tended to when he was frustrated. He got up and paced, and her heart went out to him, because he looked scared, and that wasn't something she was used to seeing on him. She was the one that was used to hiding behind strength and sarcasm, but he wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to her.

"Is this going to happen every time I don't want to talk about something? You're going to just keep pushing?" he asked, not pausing in his stride as he threw a look at her. She shrugged, not phased at all.

"Only when I think it's important," she responded, and he stopped, crossing his arms defensively and she sighed internally. They'd been here before, and she knew there was something he wasn't telling her. He looked at her, and this time he sat straddling the bench directly in front of her, tilting his head as he watched her watch him.

"What if what I have to say isn't what you want to hear?" he asked, ducking his head as he wiped the palms of his hands on his jeans. Her stomach dropped at the resigned tone he had, and she started thinking that maybe pushing him to talk was a mistake.

"Cole-"

"I'm going to end up disappointing you," he started, and Leanne didn't know how to respond to that. Up until this point, he'd never been any less than completely honest with her about the way he was as a person, and she wasn't sure why it was different now. 

"I'm going to end up being not enough for you because I've never felt this way about someone, and..." he said, trying to keep his voice from trembling because he knew this was going to hurt her regardless of how he said it. He didn't want Neal to be right, but he also knew his track record was against him in this case.

"And dammit Leanne, I know you deserve better," he said, and she wanted to cry at the defeat coloring his voice. She'd never asked him to give her more than he could, but it sounded like he was giving up before they even really got off the ground.

"Where is this coming from?" she finally got out, and the look her gave her said more than he was willing to admit.

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked instead, and she was getting whiplash from the emotional gymnastics they were doing. She thought she'd been perfectly clear when she'd kissed him, but apparently her intentions had been eating at him for a while.

"Why are you asking me that now?" she said, and she knew she'd said the wrong thing by the way his face had shut down. She'd hurt him again, and she was so tired of feeling like she was never getting the whole truth from him.

"Hudson was right..." he muttered as he got up, and she grabbed his arm before he could make his getaway. She'd heard him loud and clear, but she wanted to be sure before she tore through the hospital looking for Neal. She wanted facts, and she wanted them now.

"What did Neal say to you?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous as he looked anywhere but her. When she slid her hand from his arm to grasp his wrist, he sighed and dropped his head, knowing she'd eventually find out anyway.

"He just said what I was afraid to admit; that one day I'd do something to hurt you and it would ruin everything I have here," he said, and looked back at where their skin was touching before he continued, "Everything good I've accomplished in my personal life while being here is in some way tied to you. If anything ever happened between us, we'd both have to deal with the fallout and I can't handle losing you," he said, and she just tilted her head, her eyes glassy with unshed tears and anger at the way Cole was doubting himself; doubting them. She thought they were going to give a relationship a try, and she'd been giving them space to be sure. Apparently, that space made him question what they have.

"You're not going to lose me," she stated firmly, and he twisted his wrist, catching her fingers in his so he didn't have to look her in the eye. He shook his head, bringing her hand up to his lips to kiss her knuckles, before dropping them gently.

"You're right. I won't lose you as my friend, and that means that maybe I'm just not meant to ask for more than that..." he said, picking up his bag and heading out the door, looking back at her apologetically as he left. She was standing there frozen, still able to feel his lips against her skin as she tried to process what just happened. It sounded like he was against being in a relationship with her because he wasn't good enough, and the more she thought about it, she angrier she got. She got up and made her way calmly to the ER; she needed to find Neal, now.


	12. Chapter 12

When she saw him, her blood boiled at the audacity he had to be smiling when she felt like she was falling apart. She'd thought about it off and on all shift, because he'd been off and came in later that night, and she was more livid than she had originally been. She didn't think it was possible to be more hurt and upset than she was, but she watched as he strode through the ER to get a chart, and she made her way towards him purposefully before she really knew what she was doing.

"Dr. Hudson, a word please," she said swiftly, barely looking at him as she made her way down the hall, expecting him to follow. He threw a confused look at Jesse, who gave him a sympathetic look and shrug, knowing exactly why Leanne wanted to talk to him. He'd already heard about it, and even he thought Neal had overstepped his bounds a little. When they went through a door and into an empty hall, he came face to face with a pissed off Leanne, and he shut the door slowly, thinking of what he could have done in the ten minutes he'd been at work.

"What the hell gave you the right to butt into my personal life?" she asked, her rage barely contained, and it concerned him. She'd never reacted this way when it came to other things, and he wasn't sure why this time was any different.

"He told you?" Neal asked, crossing his arms as she stared back at him, her hostility barely contained. He couldn't believe Cole had told her they talked.

"Only after he essentially told me there was no way he could be anything but my friend Neal. He's afraid of hurting me," she scoffed, still amazed at how much it hurt her to admit aloud.

"I was just looking out for you-"

"You had no right. It wasn’t your place to tell him a damn thing!" she yelled at him, and Neal shrunk a bit at the hurt in her voice. His intentions were good, but apparently his execution left something to be desired.

"I just didn't want him to think he could hurt you and there weren't consequences for that," he admitted, and the tears she'd been holding back spilled down her cheeks as she angrily swiped at them with the back of her hand.

"Consequences? He isn't like you or Jesse, Neal, I don't need protecting from him," she spit out, and now it was his turn to be hurt. He'd never done anything to make her doubt him, and he was beginning to think he should have just kept his opinion to himself.

"He didn't know me before the accident, he's never treated me like I would break until today. He knows what it's like to feel real loss Neal," she said, her breath hitching with emotion, her tears slowing, but her eyes still red and puffy.

"He knew I needed to feel normal, and he's helped me get back a part of myself I thought I'd lost. He doesn't look at me like you and Jesse do sometimes; he doesn't wonder if this moment is the one where I'm going to fall apart," she said, and he was starting to understand why she was so angry with him.

"He treats you like you're just the woman he loves, and that's all that matters," Neal says lowly, and Leanne's eyes widen at his choice of words.

"He doesn't-"

"He does," Neal counters quietly, and he speaks quickly before she has a chance to argue, "He treats you the only way he knows how. He may know about the accident, but he's only ever gotten close to the Leanne we all know now. You've built a foundation on that, and me talking to him has shaken that," he said, hanging his head as she stood silently, watching him put the pieces together for himself.

"I'm sorry Leanne; I thought I was doing the right thing by making sure he knew not to hurt you," he apologized, and the corner of her mouth lifted, the rest of her face conveying the exhaustion she must be feeling. He knew this must have taken a toll on her, especially with Jesse getting back into things after almost a month of lighter duty.

"I know you meant well. But next time, come to me," she said, her eyes communicating forgiveness as he reached out to hug her. She went into his arms willingly, but pulled away after a minute, dreading having to find a way to get through to Cole. Neal could see her worry written all over her face, and offered to try to make it right.

"I don't think that'll go over very well. I can do it," she said, and she stood straighter as she patted his shoulder, feeling marginally better as she walked back into the ER. She made eye contact with Jesse, and she merely nodded, aware that he was relieved that everything was going to work out. He hated to see her upset, especially when it came to her heart. He just wanted her to be happy, and however she chose to do that was fine by him.

 

_____

 

She didn't know if she was doing the right thing, but every time Cole came down to do a consult, the words kept getting stuck in her throat; an apology, an explanation, she wasn't sure either of those things was what he wanted to hear, but Neal’s admission of what their relationship looked like had her grasping at anything she could. She didn't think it was possible for Cole to be that serious about her, but she also wasn't the kind of person to waste time with people she couldn't see fitting into her life. Cole had come a long way, learning to apologize and try to make the most of the things he still had. She wasn't sure if he knew it, but he had her. She wanted to be there for him like he was her, but she didn't know if he'd let her after all of the crap they've dealt with. She didn't want him to think he was always going to be put under a microscope when he was with her, but she had to tell him something if she wanted him to see she really was serious. He'd always been open with her about how vulnerable she made him feel, and it was time Leanne trusted him to see what she was trying to do.

She watched him walk over to Jesse and talk, the lines around his eyes more pronounced than they were when they spoke yesterday, but she was sure it was a lack of sleep that did that to him. She wanted to tell him he should take better care of himself, but she didn't think he'd appreciate her hovering like that. She took a deep breath and strode over, seeing the way his eyes unconsciously strayed to her when she came up beside him. He smiled slightly, but it looked forced and she hated that they’d taken two steps back. She reached out and placed her hand against his side, startling him as his body involuntarily turned to face her. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and suspicion, but he didn't pull away from her like she thought he might.

“What are you doing?” He asked quietly, well aware of the staff that was staring at them from around the station, but not taking his eyes off of Leanne. She looked unconcerned with the extra attention and he wasn't sure what it was she was trying to accomplish, but he played along; he knew she wouldn't be here if she wasn't trying to make a point.

“Do you trust me?” She asked, her head tilted to the side as she brushed her bangs back with her free hand. She was beautiful, and Cole knew she’d be the death of him if he didn't learn to take a step back. He never was one for self-preservation when it came to her, and that's what kept him glued to his spot.

“You know I do,” he mumbled, and the look on his face was as soft and sincere as ever, and it reminded Leanne that almost 7 months ago, she never thought she'd find someone that would turn out to be so important to her, let alone admit it to herself. She stepped in closer to him, and he felt her nails dig into his side briefly, before she reached her left hand up to his jaw, bringing him down to her as she leaned up on her toes.

“Then shut up and trust me,” she mumbled, her last words brushing his lips as she kissed him, and he used both hands to cup her face, unwilling to let her go. He'd tried to warn her that he wasn't enough, and yet here she was, kissing him in front of everyone. It felt like they'd been here before, and when she pulled away, he still had that lingering doubt.

“Why did you kiss me?” He whispered, and he wasn't sure if he was asking about last month or just now, but she seemed to understand him just fine. He kept their faces close as they spoke, and he could just imagine everyone’s reactions to their...interruption.

“Because I think you love me,” she admits, and he dropped his eyes until she tilted her head, willing him to look at her. When he does, he sees that it doesn't scare her like he thought it might, and a part of him was relieved he didn't have to hide that from her.

“And I think, in the near future, I can return the sentiment,” she says like it's a secret, and he can't help the smile that spreads across his face as she speaks, “I just want to make sure you're around when I do,” and he recognized that for what it was; it was his chance to decide whether or not they were really going to do this, because they were already so tangled together it just made sense. She was putting her heart on the line for him this time, and he vowed to handle it with the care it deserved; he never wanted her to regret trusting him with something so fragile.

“As long as you want me, I can't imagine being anywhere else,” he said, and she pulled away from him, her laugh watery as she tried to hide happy tears this time. She motioned with her hand for everyone to stop staring, and almost everyone went back to work. That is, except for her residents, who were exchanging money. She quirked an eyebrow at them as Cole moved behind her, wrapping an arm around her collarbone that she held onto. They both watched with interest until finally asking the obvious question.

“Why are you taking their money?” Cole asked Angus, who looked smug while the other three residents walked away, not wanting to have to explain themselves when Jesse came by, taking a twenty from Angus as he yelped in outrage.

“Finders fee,” Jesse said shrugging, and they turned back to Angus, who looked sheepish.

“I had faith in you two from the beginning, and it just paid for lunch,” he said happily, and at the surprised look both doctors gave him, he turned and make a break for it. Leanne looked up at Cole, who was laughing into her hair as she looked over at Jesse, not sure she could find words right now.

“Cole called you hot in front of him, what did you expect?” Cole let out a loud laugh as he kissed the side of Leanne’s head before pulling away from her, and she just buried her head in her left hand as her neck and ears burned with embarrassment. He put a hand on the back of her neck like he had done before, and this time it was much more comforting than the last.

“Breathe,” he said teasingly, and let out a grunt at the elbow she landed to his stomach when he didn't pull away fast enough.

“Easy for you to say,” she muttered, but her smile was contagious. She was happy, and it showed.


End file.
